Finally learning how to play

I have played online chess for a few years now. I've learned most of what I know now from playing on this site. I spent the majority of my time playing bullet. Due to a lack of progress(this comes as no surprise. I've read the multiple posts advising against bullet play for anything but enjoyment), I'm going to spend a year studying chess without playing a game. This isn't purely strategical. I simply cannot play one game. Either I don't play or I end up playing for multiple hours. But I desperately want to play better chess. 

Thanks for the games and the usually enjoyable community. I'll see you in 2018. May the chess gods be on your side.

But what about playing slow games?

You want to learn. You have to play as well as study. Keep off the speed chess though (says the guy with nearly 6000 blitz games played on here). I play 3 day games however to learn which gives plenty of time to look over positions and consider my next move

ok.  more power to you.

but its a wierd thought.  I never thought bullet was BAD just not particularly GOOD for learning.

can't you just do a little; and squeeze in time for tactics puzzles or something? 

I don't play slow games. I've tried managing my time but once I play a game then I devolve into a mess as I chase a rating I've lost or I feel like I'm playing well enough I think I can achieve a new PR. It takes me away from spending my time learning. I feel if I spent half the time learning chess instead of playing bullet I would be a significantly better player. 4k bullet games at let's say 1.5 minutes per game is 6000 minutes or 100 hours. Perhaps I should time my studies and play again after 100 hours of various forms of study and reflect on my results, instead of playing another 4k games and wondering what would happen if I spent it studying haha. But I have this weird idea that I would make significant progress by focusing almost exclusively on studying as long as I can maintain the enthusiasm for progress.

Good on ya, but reconsider "no chess". You will learn to appreciate daily games, "slow chess", as you see progress. My 2 cents. 

just wat.

talanuring wrote:

"I don't play slow games. ..."

I think that it is generally believed that slow games are a very helpful part of the learning process. It is easier to learn stuff if one uses the stuff regularly. Using ideas from books is much more practical in slow games.

"..., you have to make a decision: have tons of fun playing blitz (without learning much), or be serious and play with longer time controls so you can actually think.

One isn’t better than another. Having fun playing bullet is great stuff, while 3-0 and 5-0 are also ways to get your pulse pounding and blood pressure leaping off the charts. But will you become a good player? Most likely not. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (June 9, 2016)

"... Theory without practice is like taking golf lessons without ever going out to play. ..." - Dan Heisman (2001)

Possibly helpful:

Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson (2012)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7192.pdf

Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev (1957)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104437/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/logichess.pdf

The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1965)

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/

Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (1949)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093415/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf

Discovering Chess Openings by GM John Emms (2006)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf

Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014)

http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html

Chess Endgames for Kids by Karsten Müller (2015)

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-endgames-for-kids/

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Chess_Endgames_for_Kids.pdf

A Guide to Chess Improvement by Dan Heisman (2010)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708105628/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review781.pdf

Ah, thank you kindaspongey! I haven't compiled a to-do yet list but I think I can consider your list a great start. Much appreciated. 

That's a nice list of content, thanks I'll hijack that!